[Update: The Times published this photo with a story about the Battle of Los Angeles, but the photo was actually taken another time and used in error, according to Scott Harrison, who researched it for The Times'  Framework blog.] 

Feb. 25, 1962: As the years passed, the Battle of Los Angeles became a local curiosity. For the 20th anniversary, The Times attempted to unravel the incident, but only uncovered confusion and chaos.

Quoting a military report, The Times said: “At 3:06 a.m., an object resembling a balloon was sighted over Santa Monica and four units were ordered to fire.

"Thereafter, the official records are so confused and contradictory — and the subsequent testimony of eyewitnesses, both civilian and military, complicates, rather than clarifies them — that it seems impossible to reconstruct accurately the story of the next few hours."

Jack Smith wrote about the incident for the 1967 anniversary and Donna Scheibe  revisited the incident in 1979.
 
ALSO

Another Good Story Ruined: Saucers Over L.A.! – Part 1

Another Good Story Ruined: Saucers Over L.A.! — Part 2

Another Good Story Ruined: Saucers Over L.A.! – Part 3

Another Good Story Ruined: Saucers Over L.A.! – Part 4

Another Good Story Ruined: The Battle of Los Angeles